Earnhardt said he was trying to push Ambrose to the front of the lead draft when he accidentally turned him. Earnhardt said their cars — drivers are getting a feel for the new Sprint Cup car — did not match up well while trying to draft.

“We got off the back straightaway and were just kind of pushing him along there and our cars sort of just didn’t match up very well,” Earnhardt said. “I got him hooked into the fence.”

“He’s just a great drafter, really can feel it well. I guess I just got caught on the edge of the bumper there and with the shaped noses and the tires, just spun me out,” Ambrose said. “It was hardly even a bump. It was just enough at the wrong angle, wrong time and just went for a spin.”

The crash collected 12 cars, including Earnhardt teammates Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, and forced several teams to go home because they did not have backups.

Ambrose agreed that the wreck was a result of drivers trying to get a feel for the new cars and see which makes can draft and which can’t.

“We used to get greedy with the old cars. It was very easy to bump draft,” he said. “You really had a good square surface to push from. You could get across on an angle and still get away with it. So I guess we are used to that.

“I didn't think anything of it. I got a couple shots from him down the backstretch and we carried some steam. Just the third shot just spun me out. So I definitely think it's a consequence of the new shape, and like a downforce, the car’s very light and it doesn’t take much.”

Earnhardt said there were no lingering issues between he and Ambrose.

“No, it’s not really between me and him. He didn’t do anything wrong. I think it was my responsibility not to wreck him,” Earnhardt sadi. “He doesn’t have much control at that point. That was the first Ford I had pushed. I don’t know. You don’t want to push too many Ford’s if you can help it.”